Scenic Vieux Montreal

To visit Montreal without visiting Vieux Montreal would be a crime. Here is a shot of a 18th century restaurant, one of the oldest in Montreal, located near the waterfront. We took this shot after a long day spent wandering this wonderful city.

Wine Flows Freely in Quebec

I'm always fascinated by visiting grocery stores in other countries... they always provide an interesting glimpse into the everyday products people use, the local cuisine and much more. You also get a sense for prices and the differences from country to country. For example, buying extra virgin olive oil in Italy is much less expensive than the U.S. The same goes for maple syrup here in Canada vs. the U.S.

So, we stopped in a SAQ Depot store while in Hull, Quebec (right across the river from Ottawa). When we drove past it, I saw that they were a wine and spirits store and I wanted to pick up a bottle of Canadian wine as a souvenir. By the way, if you haven't heard of SAQ (I hadn't)...

The Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ) is a state-owned corporation responsible for the trade of alcoholic beverages.

As a state-owned corporation, the SAQ provides a major income stream to both levels of government in the form of taxes, duties, and a dividend payment to the Quebec government.

Now, the SAQ Depot wasn't just any old wine store. Yes, you can buy a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc or rum. However, if want to buy several bottles of everyday wine, SAQ allows you to pick and bottle your own wine in bulk.

As you come into the store, you'll spot a long wall lined with wine "stations" as I'll call them. Each station provides information on the wine, pricing and a tap for tasting and filling bottles.


After you've selected the wine you want, take a taste to make sure it lives up to your standards. I selected a nice red wine.


If the wine works for you, you can fill up as many bottles of wine as you need. We watched someone fill a case while we were there.


You then walk over to a contraption that allows you to cork the wine before you take it to the front and check out. If you'd like, you can even buy foil for the neck or labels. They pretty much have it all.


There are 6 SAQ Depot locations in Quebec including in Hull (Ottawa), Montreal and Quebec City. You'll also come across other SAQ locations like SAQ Express, SAQ Classique, SAQ Selection and SAQ Signature. Each one has a slightly different emphasis. SAQ Convenience stocks about 400 different products that can be quickly purchased while SAQ Signature focuses on more exclusive options.

Cool Canadian T-shirts

Looking for a cool souvenir from Canada or a nice T-shirt that doesn't look like every other Canadian T-shirt out there? Check out the clothing section of the CBC web page - the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. They have an impressive array of well-designed T-shirts, hoodies, onesies, hats and more... even stocking T-shirts for the upcoming FIFA U-20 World Cup. I picked up a ringer T-shirt with the 1958 logo of CBC-Radio Canada (to the left). Similar T-shirts are available with the 40s and 70s logo, as well. Of course, there are plenty of hockey shirts and some weird ones like the Radio 3 Salmon-Beaver shirt... must be an inside joke among Canadians.

You can also swing by their "boutique" on the Sparks Street Pedestrian mall in Ottawa.

A bit of Canadian and Texan History.

In visiting Canada, I started realizing that I either had a complete lack of knowledge about Canadian history or I had pretty much forgotten what I had learned in school. What was the war of 1812 about? How did Canada play a role? What played a role in the French experience in Canada and why are the Quebecois so adamantly French. Well, while at the Canadian Museum of Civilization, I picked up a copy of The Illustrated History of Canada, a terrific book that takes you from the "first peoples" to the present. I've made it through about 100 pages. If you care about history, the book can help put your visit to Canada in context. Not a guide but a wortwhile companion to Canada.

On a different topic, while driving back to Cardinal from Montreal, we spent some time talking about lakes in Texas, namely Caddo Lake, the only natural lake in the state of Texas. Earlier this afternoon, I noticed that the Houston Chronicle was running an article on both Caddo Lake and Jefferson, a historic town on the banks of the lake. Apparently Jefferson has a very colorful history and is filled with restored buildings and houses. The town used to be the base of a very important inland port that eventually fell out of favor due to a variety of reasons. Nonetheless, with over 60 bed and breakfasts in town (including the first in Texas), Jefferson is supposed to be a great long weekend destination, be it from Dallas or Houston. The drive from Houston is 234 miles and from Dallas the drive is about 168 miles. The Marion County web page offers a great deal of information and searching online can lead to a treasure trove of information, as well.

Thoughts on Canada

I was just thinking about our trip to Canada and how much we enjoyed it. As you know, our time was primarily spent along the St. Lawrence in southern Ontario, in Ottawa and in Montreal. I thought I would share a few observations and comments...

• If you're planning on driving into Canada or crossing back and forth across the border, you'll find that Canadian border control agents are relatively humorless. Any attempt at humor tended to fall flat. American border control agents, while more thorough (ex: making you open the trunk) at least had a sense of humor.
• Speaking of humor, we were surprised to find most Canadians we met were relatively reserved and, in a sense, cautiously friendly. My wife referred to some as boring. At the same time, those who were outgoing were very friendly and engaging. It seemed like it was either feast or famine. Surprisingly, we found people in Montreal were much friendlier than in Ottawa. We expected the opposite.
• Speed limits in Canada are awfully low. Major highways like 416 or 401 are only 100 k/h or 60 mph. Now, I would never condone speeding, of course, but I did notice that most people drove around 120 - 130 k/h. Reading the speed on a U.S. car is annoying since the kilometers are much smaller on the speedometer.
• Speaking of numbers, let's talk taxes. Any perceived discount from the exchange rate (and it's not that much) is quickly wiped out by absurd taxes. City and provincial taxes can add up to 15% to a transaction.
• Hanging out in a small town, you soon realize that, yes, you are the outsider. People definitely know that you aren't one of them. In some places, it was a good 5 minutes before people stopped staring at us.
  
• Ontario is truly a bilingual province. Even in small towns like Morrisburg, we would hear both French and English. Signs are bilingual most everywhere, particularly in Ottawa. Of course, as soon as you cross the Ottawa river into Quebec, everything is French. Bilingual signs are, for the most part, out the window. While everyone will assume you speak French, they do speak English. Just like in France, I found that a little French goes a long way to earn respect.
• The whole French and English dynamic is due to an very interesting and rich history. If possible, pick up a Canadian history book while visiting. Building up your personal knowledge of Canadian history can add a new dimension to your travels up north.
  

Towns along the St. Lawrence River

Southern Ontario is dotted with dozens of tiny towns and river communities along the St. Lawrence River. Some are more interesting than others. Below is a quick rundown of the towns we visited on our brief vacation.

Rivermede in Cardinal, ON

Cardinal - This was our launching point for our stay in Canada as we stayed at Rivermede. The town is quite tiny - maybe a couple hundred people so there really isn't anything for a tourist to do. For those interested in diving, there are a couple of submerged ships located offshore - the Wee Hawk and the Conestoga.

Prescott - About 15 minutes west of Cardinal, just past the turnoff for the international bridge, is Prescott, a town of about 5,200. The town is referred to as "the fort town" as it is the site of Fort Wellington National Historic Site. Also nearby is the Battle of the Windmill National Historice Site. The town has a tiny downtown area but does include a nice restaurant - the Grenville Arms Bistro at 513 King Street. The food there is actually quite good. Right next door is the incredibly charming Ships Anchor Inn, housed in a 175 year old stone house.

Merrickville - Just up 416 and off of 43 (or straight up the road from Maitland) is the charming town of Merrickville, Ontario. Located on the banks of the historic Rideau Canal, the town has several great little restaurants, a few charming B&Bs and plenty of shops. Dubbed by many as the most beautiful village in Ontario, it's an easy day trip from the St. Lawrence river or Ottawa. We had lunch on an outdoor patio at the Yellow Canoe Cafe - a casual little cafe across the street from the canal. Walk around town to enjoy the architecture, the Rideau canal and the Blockhouse Museum.

Downtown Brockville

Brockville - Located another 15 minutes west of Prescott is Brockville, a particularly beautiful town on the St. Lawrence. Driving into town, we were amazed by the array of gorgeous houses... just one after the other. The main square is about as pretty as you can get with plenty of charm and European character as it was founded by Loyalist refugees displaced during the American Revolution. There are several great restaurants and shops in town and some great photo opps. Oh yes, and you can take boat tours from Brockville to the Thousands Islands although you might want to take a tour from Alexandria Bay instead (on the NY side).

Morrisburg - Admittedly, there's not much to see in Morrisburg itself. Though you'll find plenty of nice houses and pretty churches by the river, you'll soon realize that the town has no downtown. It turns out that both Morrisburg and Iroquois (just up the river) were moved back from the river when it was widened. Each lost their respective downtowns. Morrisburg is really lacking in restaurants unless you count the restaurants located at the McIntosh Country Inn. For the most part, Morrisburg is known for Upper Canada Village and Prehistoric World.

Of course, probably the most worthwhile town to visit along the St. Lawrence is the historic city of Kingston. We didn't get a chance to make it there but heard it was very much worthwhile. Further downstream is Cornwall, just a short drive from Quebec. Again, if you're going to visit the Thousand Islands, common wisdom is to catch a boat from Alexandria Bay rather than from the Canadian side as you'll be able to see Millionaire's Row, Boldt Castle and Singer Castle.

Apple Ice Wine and other Souvenirs

When traveling for pleasure (or business), we like to look for unique souvenirs - something that doesn't look the usual cheesy T-shirt or snowglobe but it more typical to a particular region or country.

On our last day in Montreal, we stopped by a local SAQ Express to pick up a bottle of wine for a friend. While there, I bought a small bottle of ice cider or ice apple wine for us to enjoy. You can pick up small gift-sized bottles for around $4.50 CAN at SAQ locations or larger bottles for under $20 CAN.

The brand on the left is what we picked up - Domaine Pinnacle Ice Apple Wine. Other brands that can easily be found include...

Merridale Estate Cidery
Cidrerie du Minot
La Fache Cachee' de la Pomme
Cidrerie Michel Jodoin
Domaine Steinbach

Of course, one of the most common souvenirs picked up in Canada is maple syrup. You'll easily find maple syrup for sale in areas like ByWard Market in Ottawa, grocery stores or souvenir shops. In general, you should pay around $4.50 CAN for a 250 ml jug of No. 2 syrup (most used for pancakes, waffles, etc.) No. 1 syrup is darker, richer and more expensive as it is typically used for cooking and by gourmands. Souvenir shops will overprice for maple syrup but you should be able to find good deals. Glass bottles shaped like maple leafs are much more expensive and don't travel as well. Plastic jugs offer good value and portability while cans of syrup are usually purchased by locals and are the least expensive. Tins, while attractive, don't quite travel as well if mishandled.

Time is Short in Montreal

It should come as no surprise that two days in Montreal is far too short to truly enjoy this city. We barely scratched the surface of Viuex Montreal, haven't had a chance to go up to Mont Royal, didn't eat outdoors on Crescent Street (though we may fix that today) and didn't get a chance to head over towards the Montreal Jazz Festival. That may get resolved, too, but all of it will be a teeny taste of "the real thing". Such is life - it just spurs us to come back another time.

This morning, we grabbed breakfast at Vasco da Gama, a little Portuguese cafe' recommended by the concierge at the Sofitel Montreal. Located at 1472 Peel Street, inside you'll find a nice assortment of pastries, sandwiches, omelettes and other light fare. Be sure to include a Pastel de Nata, a custar-based pastry, with your meal for only $2.00 CAN. You can pull up a chair by the front or out on the sidewalk.

Typical Pastel de Nata - only $2.00 at Vasco da Gama

Afterwards, we wandered along Rue Sainte Catherine where there are scores upon scores of shops - you'll find plenty of Canadian and International brands. For some nice Canadian souvenirs, stop by the Roots store 1025 Rue Ste-Catherine Ouest. Roots is a nature-themed Gap-like store with branches all over Canada and four stores in the U.S. We made it down to a central square, across from a Hudson's Bay store but then headed back as we had to check out.

This afternoon? We'll see... if anything, we'll be heading back to Cardinal later today and then probably dinner in Brocksville.

A Dining Feast in Montreal

A Slice of Europe (and pastry) in Montreal

We've only been in Montreal a day but it doesn't take one long to figure out that dining in Montreal can be a delectable experience. Technically, we've only had two meals with a snack thrown in for good measure. For lunch, we went to the Plateau to a pizza place on Boulevard Saint Laurent called Pizzadelic. Recommended by several guidebooks, Pizzadelic is not a run-of-the-mill pizza place. Selections range from traditional pizzas like margherita to selections that have fresh seafood. These square-shaped wood-fired pizza come in 8" and 11" sizes and tends to range around $9.50 CAN to $15.00 CAN, give or take. The massive menu has other selections like sandwiches and pasta courses like Fettucine Alfredo with Filet Mignon. If you can, nab a spot facing the street (they'll slide open the glass wall on nice days) or a seat on the back terrace. The atmosphere is otherwise dark but elegant.

For lunch, we stopped in a small pastry shop in Vieux Montreal for tarte tatin and apple turnovers. Delicious. I wish I had grabbed a card... I can tell you it was two doors down from Marche' de la Villette at 324 rue St-Paul Ouest.

Dinner was back at the Plateau where we had an amazing dining experience at Primadonna. The restaurant attempts and pulls off a menu of Italian and sushi. Yup... one restaurant... two polar opposite menus. They do pull it off though prices for sushi are steep. I hadn't eaten sushi in a while so I had tako and sake sashimi (the portions were quite small) and a rainbow roll. Again, all very good but just not completely filling. My wife had an excellent arugula salad and pasta with lobster in a very tasty mushroom and tomato sauce. Dessert was a diminutive but addictive mascarpone cheesecake with key lime sorbet. The bill for the four of us was steep - a little over $100 each before tax and tip.

So far, so good. Now we're off to breakfast.

A Steamy Day in Ottawa

It was a scorcher today in Ottawa... our jokes about "steamy" Canadian summers apparently fell flat as it truly was hot today.

We had breakfast at the hotel and then drove across the river to the Canadian Museum of Civilization - an absolute for anyone visiting Ottawa. While the museum has a handful of the usual dioramas and interpretive exhibits, what really makes it stand out are its life-size exhibits of life through Canadian history and the stunning great hall with its towering totems. We spent about 3 hours at the museum but I can see how someone might pass the whole day covering all the exhibits. After your visit, you can grab a bit at one of the museum's cafes or grab a bite on the park overlooking Ottawa.

Nighttime View of the Canadian Museum of Civilization

In case you didn't know, the Canadian Museum of Civilization is actually in Gatineau and is located in Quebec. Unlike bilingual Ottawa, pretty much everything turns French in Gatineau. Stores suddenly drop any bilingual pretenses and display French signage. This was definitely the case in SAQ Depot, a Quebecois wine shop in Gatineau (more on that later...)

Anyway, we headed back to the hotel around 4:00 to kick back for a while. Later, after some errands, we worked out at the hotel's gym - a bit steamy and crowded with aggressive members (it's also a membership-based gym) who were dead set on getting a Swiss ball or barbell when they needed it.

As for dinner, a great choice is Metropolitain Brasserie... located at the corner of Sussex and Rideau. The restaurant is set in a depressed plaza, adjacent to great shops on Sussex. The interior is well-appointed and elegant but sitting outside is the way to go, particularly if you happen to be in town during some type of music festival. The menu had a great mix of fish, meat and some of the best salads in town. It also has a very extensive wine list. I had sauteed Halibut with fennel, slivered almonds, roasted potatoes and market vegetables. My wife had a delectable grilled chicken salad. All very good.

Now... something interesting. One thing we've noticed is how high taxes are on food. An example from our bill at Metropolitain:

Food and wine - $64.17
GST - $3.86
PST - $4.40
Liq PST - $.93

That's a little over 14% in taxes. Yikes!

Nonetheless, we're finding some very good food in Ottawa. We can't wait to see what we'll find in Montreal!

Outdoor Dining in ByWard Market

Just took an evening stroll back to the ByWard market area. There's a grouping of restaurants just off of George Street that are worth visiting...each one surrounds one of the oldest courtyards in Ottawa - Social, The Black Tomato, Courtyard Restaurant and Mamma Grazzi's. We ate at Mamma Grazzi's after seeing a good review in a Frommer's Guide. Despite the cheesy Italian name, it was very good. The caprese is a good bet as an appetizer as it comes with caprese and nice-sized mixed greens salad. The menu also includes pizza, four meat dishes and 30+ different pasta options. Eating in the courtyard area is an absolute must, particularly in the summertime when the weather, like tonight, can be ideal.

Confusion and Resolution in Canada

"I like any kind of weather. It's the joy of being alive and some people forget that"

- Man interviewed on a local Ottawa newscast when asked about the heat.

...and here we are in Canada.

First off, I'm going to add pictures to these entries later. Right now, I don't have the means to upload pictures. In fact, it's a blessing that I even have Internet access. Let me explain...

The drive from Syracuse to Cardinal in Ontario was a breeze - about two hours long and very straightforward. The house itself was beautiful - a late 1800s brick Victorian house with a privileged location overlooking the St. Lawrence River. The three-story house had 7 bedrooms, all decorated with family heirlooms and various fascinating bits of history. What the house did not have was cable TV or Internet access. Now, since I had planned on making this a working vacation, no Internet access was a problem. It is the end of the quarter, after all, and I had all kinds of stuff I was working on.

Well... OK... the 730 Truck Stop, as far as I knew, had wireless so at least I could work there with Skype, right? Wrong. Turned out that wireless at the 730 Truck Stop hadn't been working for about 6 months. Other options? The waitress at the truck stop thought that Tim Horton's in Prescott or Morrisburg might have wireless but she wasn't sure. Hmmm... not reassuring. While my wife was eating, I walked over to the entrance to use the ATM. Ah... no go. The ATM didn't like my card.

No TV
No Internet (problem for work)
No access to cash

Since we'd planned on a day trip to Ottawa on Sunday, we instead decided to pack up a few days' worth of clothes and make it a three-night stay. Less than an hour later, we pulled up to the Marriott Ottawa, parked the car, and started checking hotel rates. The Marriott was more than we wanted to spend so we started digging around for options. In the midst of my digging, I finally realized... hey, I have Marriot points! Lo and behold, we had enough for 3 nights and booked a room.

Parliament Hill, as seen from Hull

We spent Sunday getting to know our way around town. Lunch was spent wandering around Sparks Street Mall where a BBQ cookoff was taking place - apparently U.S. vs. Canadian teams. We worked our way to Elgin where we paid $30 CAN each for a Lady Dive "amphibus" tour. If you haven't been to Ottawa before, taking one of these tours is a great way to get a quick intro to the city. The bus/boat winds its way past the most popular sites and then takes a plunge
into the Ottawa River. Listening to the bilingual narration was quite funny (everything here is in French and English). It also gave us a better idea of what sites we might want to explore
in greater detail.

Afterwards, we watched a boat works its way through the locks at the Rideau Canal and then took a leisurely stroll along Parliament Hill. If you didn't know any better, you'd think you were in England. The neogothic architecture is stunning. We were quite tired by the late afternoon so we headed back to the hotel.

For dinner, we opted not to wander too far from the hotel so we took the elevator up to the 29th floor for dinner at Merlot, the Marriott's rotating restaurant. The expensive but wonderful restaurant takes two hours to make one rotation of the city skyline. The food was excellent and the restaurant's wine list was recognized by Wine Spectator as one of the country's finest wine lists. My wife had a delicious crab salad as an appetizer and I had the eclectic salad. Both highly recommended. We both opted for salmon for dinner. It was scrumptious - served with a in a ginger maple dressing, bok choy and drizzled with pears and herbs. Very very good. Dessert was a delectable 3 citron cheesecake with a coconut caramel dipping sauce. Not light... not by any means... but very good. The entire meal, with a glass of wine and tax, came out to $113 CAN. Oh, and yes... we made a full revolution.

This morning, I went downstairs nice and early to take part in a couple of conference calls and to get some work done. We then started our day by heading to ByWard Market. What a great area. The old city market still buzzes with stalls selling fresh fruit, flowers and other assorted items. Other food stores and gourmet shops line the area. It also contains one of the greatest concentrations of restaurants in the city of Ottawa. Rather than sitting down at a traditional restaurant, we stopped by Moulin de Provence and picked up some sandwiches to go. We also grabbed a basket of cherries at a stall and then made our way to a bench by the Rideau Canal.

The weather, while a bit sketchy yesterday, turned out to be quite nice - actually warmer than Houston, if you can believe. We're now taking it easy in the room... catching up on a little bit of work, a little bit of registering, a little bit of working out, etc. We're about to head back out to
ByWard Market to shop along Sussex Street before heading to dinner at one of the many restaurants.